The Progress & Freedom Foundation Aspen Summit August 17-19, 2008
Plenary Address by Richard W. Fisher, President and CEO, Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas
The Aspen Summit 2008, The Progress & Freedom Foundation's annual gathering of the digital world's most prominent business leaders, probing thinkers and influential policymakers, took place August 17-19 at the St. Regis Hotel in Aspen, Colorado.
Debuting in 1995, the Aspen Summit soon became one of the best and most talked about events of its kind. Speakers have included corporate leaders such as Eric Schmidt, Mel Karmazin, Richard Notebaert, Jeff Bezos, Ivan Seidenberg and Edgar Bronfman, Jr.; technology pioneers such as Jeff Citron, Jonathan Schwartz and Tom Perkins; leading policymakers such as Michael Powell, Kevin Martin, Marsha Blackburn and Haley Barbour; and other luminaries such as Antonin Scalia. CEOs, senior government officials, academics and policy wonks are drawn each August to the base of Aspen Mountain to engage in information sharing and informed speculation.
Wired News has compared the Aspen Summit to the annual Davos event in Switzerland and the Renaissance Weekend at Hilton Head. Many participants view it as a time to reflect and an opportunity to look ahead. Ultimately, Aspen is about impact - the impact of ideas on public policy, on business strategy and on the future of the digital revolution.